Samuel Adams Brewers Unveil A New Spring Seasonal Beer

BOSTON, Jan. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The brewers at Samuel Adams have crafted a brand new seasonal beer, Samuel Adams Alpine Spring. This beer has the balanced maltiness and hoppiness of a helles, the strength and smoothness of a bock, and the unfiltered haze of a kellerbier. Although it's categorized as an unfiltered wheat lager, this one-of-a-kind beer transcends any one style, and the crisp, citrus flavor notes make it a perfect offering for spring.

To create Samuel Adams Alpine Spring, the brewers sourced a German Noble hop variety called Tettnang-Tettnanger, steadily cultivated on vines dating back 100 years in hop gardens at the foothills of the Alps. The beer is brewed using only hops from this region -- approximately half a pound per barrel -- which gives the beer a bright, orange-citrusy aroma.

Brewers' tasting notes:

The brew mixes the excellence of a traditional German lager with a soft, underlying maltiness, clear notes of Noble hops and a bright yet slightly bitter finish.

Tettnang-Tettnanger hops are valued for their elegant citrus and slightly spicy flavors, and provide notes of orange blossom honey to this beer.

Samuel Adams Alpine Springweighs in at 5.5 percent ABV and is bright amber in color, with a medium body and a slight unfiltered haze.

German Pilsner malt and honey malt add a crisp and sweet malt character.

Although it's being released for the first time this month, Samuel Adams Alpine Spring was awarded a pre-release gold medal in the Munich-Helles category at the Beverage Testing Institute's recent World Beer Championship with an "exceptional" score of 93.

What Jim Koch, Founder and Brewer, has to say about the beer: "As brewers, we pride ourselves on developing our seasonal beers to capture the essence of each season. Fall, winter and summer are distinct seasons and it's easier to recognize beer styles that complement seasonal palates and menus. But spring has always posed a unique challenge -- we're in limbo, waiting for winter to be over and for summer to arrive. Not only is Alpine Spring a new recipe, but it's our first unfiltered lager. I've visited many hop farms in Germany over the past 20 years, and I knew that the Tettnang hops would bring the right combination of bright citrusy aroma and flavor to evoke spring for our drinkers."

How to get your hands on a bottle:

Samuel Adams Alpine Spring will be available nationwide from January to April in six-packs, with a suggested retail price of $7.99.

Additionally, Samuel Adams Alpine Spring will be available, alongside the new Samuel Adams® Whitewater IPA, in the Samuel Adams® Brewer's Choice Variety 12-Pack, with a suggested retail price of $13.99.

Samuel Adams Whitewater IPA is a new, fusion-style brew that mixes two popular craft styles: the crisp, spicy wheat character of a white ale and the intense hop flavor of an IPA. Whitewater IPA will also be in six-packs beginning in February.

Samuel Adams® Noble Pils, which is now replaced as the spring seasonal by Samuel Adams Alpine Spring, will be available year-round in six-packs and 12-packs as part of the Samuel Adams Brewmasters Collection.

The Boston Beer Company began in 1984 with a generations-old family recipe that Founder and Brewer Jim Koch uncovered in his father's attic. Inspired and unafraid to challenge conventional thinking about beer, Jim brought the recipe to life in his kitchen. Pleased with the results of his work, Jim decided to sample his beer with bars in Boston in the hopes that drinkers would appreciate the complex, full-flavored beer he brewed fresh in America. That beer was aptly named Samuel Adams Boston Lager®, in recognition of one of our nation's great founding fathers, a man of independent mind and spirit. Little did Jim know at the time, Samuel Adams Boston Lager soon became a catalyst of the American craft beer revolution.

Today, The Boston Beer Company brews more than 30 styles of beer. It relentlessly pursues the development of new styles and the perfection of classic beers by searching the world for the finest ingredients. Using the traditional four vessel brewing process, the Company often takes extra steps like dry-hopping, barrel-aging and a secondary fermentation known as krausening. The Company has also pioneered another revolution, the 'extreme beer' movement, where it seeks to challenge drinker's perceptions of what beer can be. The Boston Beer Company has been committed to elevating the image of American craft beer by entering festivals and competitions around the globe, and in the past five years has won more awards in international beer competitions than any other brewery in the world. As an independent company, brewing quality beer remains its single focus. Although Samuel Adams® beer is America's largest-selling craft beer, it accounts for only one percent of the U.S. beer market. The Boston Beer Company will continue its independently-minded quest to brew great beer and to advocate for the growth of craft beer across America. For more information, please visit www.samueladams.com.